A long-reach WDM-PON feeder employing EDFA-Raman amplification and ASE injected R-SOAs for optical-wireless access networks

In this work we demonstrate a novel long reach wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) backhauling scheme for future optical-wireless access systems. The topology is based on amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) injected into reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (R-SOAs) to implement colorless ONTs and hybrid EDFA-Raman amplification, to allow long-reach. We investigated the system performance for 1.25 Gb/s directly modulated R-SOAs and experimentally demonstrated error free operation for upstream and downstream transmission, detected by conventional PIN receivers in a 70 km reach.